INDUSTRY AND ENVIRONMENTALISTS ‘MUST WORK TOGETHER FOR FUTURE OF THE SEAS’

INDUSTRY AND ENVIRONMENTALISTS ‘MUST WORK TOGETHER FOR FUTURE OF THE SEAS’

Associated British Ports’ (ABP) Sustainable Manager, Peter Barham - in his capacity as Chairman of the Seabed User and Developer Group (SUDG) - has welcomed SUDG and the Wildlife and Countryside Link’s (Link) recent joint statement on the draft Marine Bill, citing it as an excellent example of industry and environmentalists working together to ensure the sustainable development of the marine environment.

After the announcement of the joint statement (attached), SUDG launched its new sustainability brochure at a reception at the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA), attended by Jonathan Shaw, Marine & Fisheries Minister. Also in attendance were representatives from both the marine industry and the marine-conservation sector.

Jonathan Shaw said: "Our seas are important. We use the seas for many resources on which jobs and livelihoods depend. Damage to marine life, habitats and ecosystems has serious knock-on effects for all of us, so protecting our marine environment is a high priority. This joint statement between industry and environmentalists is a great example of how we can all work together to get the Marine Bill right and ensure clean, healthy, safe, productive and biologically diverse oceans and seas for future generations."

Peter Barham said: "Only by industry and environmentalists working together, by formulating an integrated approach to planning, can we hope to safeguard the sustainable future of the seas. At ABP, we have recognised this fact for many years - as evidenced, for example, by our conservation work with Natural England on the Humber - and I am delighted to have been involved in the formulation of SUDG and Link’s joint statement."

25th July 2008

Return to Results Page